Life Works in Cycles: How to Use "Seasonality" to Get Rich and Stay Sane
We try to live in a permanent Summer. But nature, markets, and emotions run in cycles. The secret isn't to fight the Winter; it's to plant the seeds that will make you rich in the Spring.
Anxiety comes from thinking a bad day is permanent. Wealth comes from knowing a bear market is temporary. Once you accept the cycle, you stop fighting reality and start leveraging it.
Inspiration: Realizing that my best financial gains came from investments made during peak fear, and my best mental clarity came after accepting that anxiety is just a passing weather system.
We are taught to expect linear growth. We want our career, our happiness, and our portfolio to go up and to the right, forever.
This is a lie. Nature doesn't work in straight lines; it works in Cycles. Jim Rohn talked about the "Seasons of Life." Once you accept this, everything gets easier.
1. The Cycle of Career (The Hunt vs. The Harvest)
You cannot be in "Empire Building" mode 24/7 for 40 years. You will burn out.
- Winter (The Build): No one knows you. You are grinding in the dark. This feels like failure, but it is actually Accumulation.
- Summer (The Harvest): You get the promotion, the exit, or the viral hit. This is when you cash in on the Winter's work.
The Strategy: When you are in Winter, don't look for fruit; look for roots.
2. The Cycle of Energy (Circadian & Ultradian)
We try to be robots. But we are biological batteries.
- Daily: You have 90-minute "Ultradian Rhythms" of focus followed by 20 minutes of trough. If you fight the trough with caffeine, you ruin the next peak.
- The Fix: Ride the wave. When energy dips, rest. When it spikes, sprint.
3. The Cycle of Social Connections (Expansion vs. Contraction)
Sometimes you need a village. Sometimes you need a cave.
- Expansion: You are networking, traveling, and meeting everyone (My "Europe/SEA" mode).
- Contraction: You retreat to a small circle of deep friends (My "North America/Turkey" mode). Don't feel guilty for hibernating. You are recharging your social battery.
4. The Cycle of Romantic Connections (The Spark vs. The Embers)
Hollywood sells the "Spark" (High Dopamine) as the only valid state. Real love cycles between Passion (Summer) and Comfort (Autumn).
If you panic every time the passion cools into comfort, you will blow up a good relationship. Stability is not the death of love; it is the foundation of it.
5. The Cycle of Physical Health (Anabolic vs. Catabolic)
You cannot be shredded and huge at the same time forever.
- Bulking (Winter): You eat more, lift heavy, and accept some fat gain to build muscle.
- Cutting (Summer): You diet down to reveal the work. If you try to do both simultaneously, you spin your wheels. Embrace the season of the bulk.
6. The Cycle of Mental Health (The 24-Hour Rule)
This is the most important one. Anxiety feels permanent. When you are in a panic spiral, your brain tells you:
"This is my life now. I will feel this way forever."
The Truth: No emotion lasts forever. The neurochemistry of a panic attack usually burns out in 20 minutes. A bad mood rarely survives a good night's sleep.
The Strategy: When you are in the hole, wait 24 hours. Don't make decisions. Don't send that angry email. Just wait. The weather always changes.
Conclusion: Be a Surfer, Not a Rock
A rock tries to stand still and gets eroded by the waves. A surfer accepts the waves and rides them.
My Take: The bad days are just Winter. They are necessary. They are the time you buy the assets—financial, emotional, physical—that will make you rich when the sun comes back out.
